AISD Budget Hearing Tonight
People will have their say tonight on the Austin Independent School District’s budget for next year. AISD’s holding a public hearingon its $690 million budget. The district has made several budget cuts, including eliminating over 1,000 jobs, to cover its multi-million dollar budget shortfall. AISD won’t know exactly how big its budget gap is until state lawmakers approve the state’s budget this legislative session.
Texas Wildfire Update
The Texas Forest Service says it responded to 17 new wildfires Saturday. 208 of Texas's 254 counties are now under burn bans. The fires burning west of Fort Worth are now 50 percent contained and have burned over 126,000 acres. The Rockhouse fire in the Fort Davis area is now 75 percent contained and has burned more than 200,000 acres.
Shelter Site Launches for People Affected by Wildfires
There's a new way to help people evacuated from their homes or who have lost their homes because of the wildfires. Texas.sparkrelief.org is a website where people can offer housing to those in need and where people who are displaced can find a place to stay.
People can post how many children and pets they need room for and for how long. The site is run by a non-profit disaster relief organization called Sparkrelief.